False Morel vs small tortoiseshell

Gyromitra esculenta compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• False Morel is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	False Morel	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Pezizales (Pezizales)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Discinaceae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Gyromitra	Aglais
Species	Gyromitra esculenta	Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

False Morel

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	False Morel	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

False Morel

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden